Multi-segmented headliner having longitudinal joint

ABSTRACT

The multi-segmented headliner for a vehicle includes an elongated intermediate segment, an elongated first side segment, and an elongated second side segment. In one configuration the segments are separate and form the complete headliner on assembly inside the roof of the vehicle. In another configuration the segments are joined together in a single piece, with the side segments being movable relative to the intermediate segment. Both configurations permit the replacement of the headliner of a van or sport utility by moving the headliner either in separate segments, or folded if a single piece, through the opening defined by the rear door or liftgate of the vehicle.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The embodiments of the disclosed invention relate generally toheadliners for vehicles. More particularly, the embodiments relate to amulti-segmented headliner for a vehicle which can be readily installedon the roof of the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vehicle headliners are used to both cover the bare material (usuallymetal) of the vehicle roof and to provide protection to the vehicleoccupant in a crash event. Headliners are typically composed of multiplelayers which include a relatively rigid or semi-rigid backing and anouter cover of a woven or non-woven material which is color-coordinatedto the rest of the vehicle for aesthetic purposes.

Headliners are typically composed of a single molded piece of material.The outer cover may be added to the molded piece after formation or maybe molded with the backing in a single mold during a single ormulti-stepped process. The headliner of a vehicle must be wide enoughnot only to provide coverage for the roof, but also must be wide enoughto cover the area between the roof and the side walls. In vans and insport utility vehicles the headliner is both wide and long, usually longenough to cover the entire area of the roof from the windshield openingto the rear door or liftgate opening. Ordinarily the considerable widthprohibits passage of the headliner through the rear opening of the vanor sport utility vehicle. On initial vehicle assembly this prohibitionis not usually a problem as the windshield has not yet been installedand the headliner can be passed through the windshield opening. However,replacement of a van or sport utility headliner after the vehicle hasbeen assembled is a time-consuming task. In the modern vehicle thewindshield is maintained in position by a weather sealing strip that isattached to the walls that define the windshield opening by very strongadhesives. This makes removal of the windshield anticipatory to theremoval of the old headliner and installation of the replacementheadliner very difficult and costly.

As an alternative to removing the windshield, attempts have been made topass the single piece headliner through the rear opening of the van andthe sport utility vehicle. However, this opening is most ordinarilynarrower than is the windshield opening and, as a consequence, thesingle piece headliner is too wide to permit the passage of theheadliner through the rear opening without bending the piece andcreating a permanent crease mark in the outer cover. Complicating thisprocedure is the fact that rear door and tailgate components (such asthe doors and tailgates themselves as well as the liftgate strute)interfere with the procedure.

Accordingly, as in so many areas of vehicle technology, there is room inthe art of vehicle headliner design for providing a headlinerarrangement which may be installed or replaced in a vehicle's interiorwithout the need to remove the vehicle's windshield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The headliner assembly for a vehicle is set forth herein in itsdifferent configurations. In general, the disclosed headliner assemblyincludes a headliner which includes three segments. The headliner has along axis. One of the three segments is an intermediate segment that hasa first longitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the longaxis of the headliner. The intermediate segment also includes a secondlongitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the long axis of theheadliner. The other two segments are side segments which includes afirst side segment and a second side segment. The first side segment hasa longitudinal edge that is fittable to the first longitudinal edge ofsaid intermediate portion. Similarly, the second side segment has alongitudinal edge that is fittable to the second longitudinal edge ofthe intermediate portion.

In one configuration the intermediate and side segments are initiallyprovided separate from one another and form the complete headlinerassembly on the roof of the vehicle. Once the three segments arepositioned within the interior of the vehicle, they may either be joinedand then installed on the vehicle roof as a joined assembly or thesegments may be individually attached to the roof. If individuallyattached to the roof the intermediate segment may be attached to theroof first with the side segments entirely or partially holding theintermediate segment in place. Alternatively the side segments can beinstalled first followed by installation of the intermediate segment.

In another configuration the intermediate and side segments are joinedtogether when manufactured, with the side segments being movablerelative to the intermediate segment. Both configurations permit thereplacement of the headliner of a van or sport utility by moving theheadliner either in separate segments or folded if a single piecethrough the opening defined by the rear door or liftgate of the vehicle.

Other features of the various embodiments of the invention will becomeapparent when viewed in light of the detailed description of thepreferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the attacheddrawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference shouldnow be made to the embodiments illustrated in greater detail in theaccompanying drawings and described below by way of examples of theinvention wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a partial perspective view of the headliner assemblyin relative position as it would appear prior to placement in a vehicle,also shown in partial perspective view;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion of a joint of two panelsconnected by a clip according to the first embodiment of thepanel-connecting arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a portion of a joint of two panelsconnected by a clip according to the second embodiment of thepanel-connecting arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion of two panels illustrating anarrangement for attaching the panels to the roof of a vehicle accordingto the first embodiment of the panel-attaching arrangement of theinvention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a portion of two panels illustrating anarrangement for attaching the panels to the roof of a vehicle accordingto the second embodiment of the panel-attaching arrangement of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the headlinerof the invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the headliner of FIG. 6 taken along lines7-7 of that figure; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the alternate embodiment of the headlinerof the invention similar to that shown in FIG. 7. showing the sidepanels in their folded positions for fitting through an area defined bythe inside edge of a vehicle liftgate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the following figures, the same reference numerals will be used torefer to the same components. In the following description, variousoperating parameters and components are described for plural constructedembodiments. These specific parameters and components are included asexamples and are not meant to be limiting.

With reference to FIG. 1, a partial perspective view of an embodiment ofthe headliner assembly of the disclosed invention, generally illustratedas 10, is shown. The headliner assembly 10 is shown in its generalposition prior to installation in the roof of a vehicle of which apartial vehicle, generally illustrated as 12, is shown. While thepresent invention finds particular utility in a passenger van or in asports utility vehicle, it is to be understood that the headliner of thepresent invention may well be fitted in other vehicles while stillachieving the general goal of the present invention which is to providea headliner which can be readily installed in a vehicle interior withoutthe need to remove the vehicle's windshield. By providing a headliner ofthe disclosed invention which can be reduced from its installeddimension to a pre-installation dimension, the headliner can be passedthrough openings of the vehicle including the tailgate and door openingsfor replacement. This arrangement also allows for added flexibility atthe installation stage.

The headliner assembly 10 includes a first side panel 14, a second sidepanel 16 being positioned opposite said first side panel 14, and anintermediate panel 18. The panels 14, 16 and 18 are shown spaced apartfrom one another as they would appear prior to installation according tothe present embodiment of the invention. While three panels 14, 16 and18 are disclosed, it is to be understood that as few as two panels andmore than three may be used while keeping within the spirit of thepresent invention.

The panels 14, 16 and 18 may be made from materials known in the art. Ingeneral the panels 14, 16 and 18 include an inner structural layer andan outer cover layer. Other layers may be included as desired for bothstructural and acoustic enhancement. Preferably, but not exclusively,the side panels 14 and 16 are composed of a structural, impact absorbingmaterial while the intermediate panel 18 is an acoustic panel. Theacoustic material may be any of a variety of materials, including asound absorbing foamed layer or a fibrous polyethylene terephthalatematerial. The structural, impact absorbing material may also be of anyof a variety of materials, including ABS plastic and fiberglass. Theouter cover layer (or the A surface) is generally composed of a fabricwhich is attached to the inner layer either during the formation processor after each layer is prepared individually. The outer cover layer mayalso be composed of a variety of materials, including woven andnon-woven cloth.

The suggested layering of the panels 14, 16 and 18 are illustrated inFIGS. 2 through 8. Referring first to FIG. 2, a portion of theintermediate panel 18 is shown. The intermediate panel 18 includes aninner acoustic layer 20 and an outer cover layer 22. Also shown in FIG.2 is a portion of the side panel 14 which includes an inner impactabsorbing layer 24 and the outer cover layer 22.

The panels 14, 16 and 18 of the present invention may be joined to oneanother and to the roof of the vehicle 12 by different methods. Suchmethods are disclosed in FIGS. 2 through 5 which are intended as beingillustrative rather than limiting. In addition to showing the possiblelayering of the outer panel 14 and the intermediate panel 18, FIG. 2also illustrates an embodiment of the method of joining two adjacentpanels. According to this embodiment, the side panel 14 includes ajoining end 26 which is angled relative to the rest of the outer panel14. Similarly, the intermediate panel 18 includes a joining end 28 whichis angled relative to the rest of the intermediate panel 18. The joiningend 26 and the joining end 28 are positioned so that they abut oneanother as illustrated. A spring clip 30 is provided to maintain theabutment illustrated in FIG. 2. The spring clip 30 may be a long,continuous clip that is fitted substantially along the length of theabutment defined by the joining end 26 and the joining end 28 or may beone of several of the same clips positioned at spaced intervals alongthe length of the abutment. A visually pleasing appearance is formed atthe abutment of the two panels 14 and 18.

An alternative method of joining two adjacent panels is illustrated inFIG. 3 which shows two sectional views of a side panel 40 and anintermediate panel 42. The panels 40 and 42 are similar respectively tothe panels 14 and 18 in configuration and composition. However, thearrangement for joining the two panels varies from the arrangementillustrated in FIG. 2. Specifically, the side panel 40 includes anattachment end 44 which includes a channel 46 that is formedsubstantially along the entire length of the attachment end 44. Theattachment end 44 also includes a fastener attachment surface 48 and afastener-passing aperture 50 formed therethrough. The intermediate panel42 includes an attachment end 52 which has a flange 54 formedsubstantially along the entire length of the attachment end 52. Asillustrated, the attachment end 52 nests substantially within thechannel 46. A visually pleasing appearance is formed along seam of themated panels 40 and 42.

The attachment end 52 of the intermediate panel 42 also includes afastener surface 56 to which the base of a fastener 58 is attached by anadhesive or by mechanical attachment. The fastener 58 has a stud portion60 extending therefrom and through the fastener-passing aperture 50 ofthe attachment end 44 of the side panel 40. The attachment end 44 of theside panel 40 is drawn tight against the attachment end 52 of theintermediate panel 42 by fitting of a nut such as a pal nut 62 on thestud portion 60 as illustrated in FIG. 3. Alternate fasteners may beemployed other than the arrangement illustrated provided that the sidepanel 40 is snugly mated with the intermediate panel 42.

The panels 14 and 18 shown in FIG. 2 and the panels 40 and 42 shown inFIG. 3 may be attached to the roof of the vehicle 12 by any of a numberof known methods of attachment including mechanical fasteners oradhesives. Possible methods of attaching the panels to the vehicleceiling as well as to one another are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

With reference to FIG. 4, a sectional view of a portion of two panels, aside panel 70 and in intermediate panel 72 is shown in relation to aportion of a vehicle, generally illustrated as 74. The vehicle 74includes an outer roof structural portion 76 having an outer edge 78, aninner roof structural portion 80 having an outer edge 82, and anintermediate roof structural portion 84 having an outer edge 86. Theouter edges 78, 82 and 86 convene along a common edge 88 and arefastened to one another to form the common edge 88 by spot welding or byother known joining techniques. The structural roof portions 76, 80 and84 are shown for illustrative purposes only and are not intended asbeing limiting as other configurations could be adapted for use as well.

The side panel 70 includes an inner edge 90, an outer edge 92, and abody 93. The outer edge 92 is held in place adjacent to the common edge88 by a polymerized weather strip 94 having a channel 96 formed thereinwhich is held in place along the common edge 88 by friction. The weatherstrip 94 also has a lip 98 which extends vehicle inward.

The inner edge 90 generally defines an area of the side panel 70 that isinwardly folded back onto itself as illustrated in FIG. 4.

The intermediate panel 72 includes a body 100 which generally defines afirst plane and an outer edge 102 which generally defines a secondplane, the first and second planes being different. The body 100 and theouter edge 102 are joined by a wall 104. The outer edge 92 of the outerpanel 70 is held in position relative to the roof of the vehicle 74 bytension of the lip 98 of the weather strip 94. The inner edge 90substantially nests along the wall 104 and the outer edge 102 of theintermediate panel 72 and thereby holds the intermediate panel 72 inplace against the inner roof structure portion 80. Fasteners oradhesives, while usable for this fitting, are thus rendered unnecessaryin holding the intermediate panel 72 in place.

In addition to the lateral support provided by the lip 98 of the weatherstrip 94, the side panel 70 is held in place by one or more mechanicalfasteners which may be of a variety of different configurations. Apreferred fastener is a spring fastener 106. The spring fastener 106 maybe a stand-alone fastener or, as illustrated, may be part of a grabhandle assembly 108. As illustrated, the grab handle assembly 108includes a grommet 110 having a peripheral flange 112. A fasteneraperture 114 is formed through the body 93 of the side panel 70 throughwhich the spring fastener 106 extends. The peripheral flange 112 abutsthe outer area surrounding the fastener aperture 114 and thus assists inholding the side panel 70 in place against the inner roof structuralportion 80.

While the spring fastener 106 as part of the grab handle assembly 108 isillustrated as the method of attaching the side panel 70 to the innerroof structural portion 80, it is to be understood that other methods ofattachment may be employed. Such arrangements for attachment includenylon “Christmas tree” style fasteners and other spring fasteners whichare attached to the inner layer of the side panel 70 so as not to beseen by the vehicle passenger.

A variation of the arrangement for attaching the intermediate and sidepanels to the roof of a vehicle is shown in FIG. 5. With respect to thatfigure, a sectional view of a portion of two panels, a side panel 120and an intermediate panel 122, is shown in relation to a portion of avehicle, generally illustrated as 124. The vehicle 124 includes an outerroof structural portion 126 having an outer edge 128, an inner roofstructural portion 130 having an outer edge 132, and an intermediateroof structural portion 134 having an outer edge 136. The outer edges128, 132 and 136 convene along a common edge 138 and are fastened to oneanother to form the common edge 138 by spot welding or by other knownjoining techniques. As shown, the inner roof structural portion 130 doesnot extend as far vehicle inward as does the inner roof structuralportion 80 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 4.

With reference still to FIG. 5, the side panel 120 includes an inneredge 140, an outer edge 142, and a body 143. The inner edge 140 isangled back slightly toward the body 143. The outer edge 142 is held inplace adjacent to the common edge 138 by a polymerized weather strip 144having a channel 146 formed therein which is held in place along thecommon edge 138 by friction. The weather strip 144 also has a lip 148which extends vehicle inwardly.

The intermediate panel 122 includes a body 200 which generally defines afirst plane and an outer edge 202 which generally defines a secondplane, the first and second planes being different. The body 200 and theouter edge 202 are joined by a wall 204. The outer edge 142 of the outerpanel 120 is held in position relative to the roof of the vehicle 124 bytension of the lip 148 of the weather strip 144. A portion of the inneredge 140 substantially nests along the wall 204 and the outer edge 202of the intermediate panel 122 and thereby holds the intermediate panel122 in place against the underside of the outer roof structural portion126. Consistent with the method of holding the intermediate panel 72 inplace as set forth in FIG. 4, fasteners or adhesives, while usable forthis fitting, are thus rendered unnecessary in holding the intermediatepanel 122 in place.

In addition to the lateral support provided by the lip 148 of theweather strip 144, the side panel 120 is held in place by one or moremechanical fasteners of which the illustrated fastener is a springfastener 206. The spring fastener 206 may be a stand-alone fastener or,as illustrated, may be part of a grab handle assembly 208. The grabhandle assembly 208 includes a grommet 210 having a peripheral flange212. A fastener aperture 214 is formed through the body 143 of the sidepanel 120 through which the spring fastener 206 extends. The peripheralflange 212 abuts the outer area surrounding the fastener aperture 214and thus assists in holding the side panel 120 in place against theinner roof structural portion 130.

While the spring fastener 206 as part of the grab handle assembly 208 isillustrated as the method of attaching the side panel 120 to the innerroof structural portion 120, it is to be understood that other methodsof attachment may be employed as set forth above with respect to FIG. 4.

As set forth above, one object of the disclosed invention is to providea practical and time-efficient approach to replacing or repairing theheadliner of a vehicle without the need to remove the windshield. Theembodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 through 5 is a multi-piece headliner. Onassembly or repair, the intermediate panel is brought into the vehicleinterior followed by the outer panels. The side panels are then attachedto the intermediate panel to form a headliner assembly. The headlinerassembly is then attached to the roof of the vehicle. This is theapproach of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. As an alternative, and asshown in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 through 5, the intermediate panel isbrought into the vehicle interior and is then installed on the roof ofthe vehicle. The outer panels are then brought into the vehicle interiorand are installed. Both of these approaches rely on the headliner beingprovided as separate pieces. As an alternative to the multi-pieceheadliner, a single-piece headliner may be used as illustrated in FIGS.6 through 8.

With reference to FIG. 6, a single-piece headliner, generallyillustrated as 220, is shown. The single-piece headliner 220 has aleading edge 222 which faces vehicle forward when installed and atrailing edge 224. The single-piece headliner 220 further includes anintermediate portion 226, a first side portion 228 and a second sideportion 230. The first side portion 228 is attached to the intermediateportion 226 along a longitudinal, flexible joint 232. The second sideportion 230 is attached to the intermediate portion 226 along alongitudinal, flexible joint 234.

The single-piece headliner 220 is preferably multi-layered and iscomposed of the same or similar materials as disclosed above withrespect to the embodiments shown and discussed in relation to FIGS. 2and 3. The single-piece headliner 220 may be composed of an inner layerand an outer layer or may be composed of more layers. Proposed layeringof the single-piece headliner 220 is disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8, ofwhich FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along lines 7-7 of FIG. 6. Asillustrated, the single-piece headliner 220 is shown in its unfoldedconfiguration as would be the case if it was installed in the vehicleinterior.

The single-piece headliner 220 has an inner cover layer 240 which runsthe entire width (and length) of the headliner 220 as shown. The innercover layer 240 is a single piece of material. The single-pieceheadliner 220 also includes an inner layer 242 which may be acombination of an acoustic layer 244 which backs the intermediateportion 226 and an inner impact absorbing layer 246 which backs the sideportions 228 and 230 as illustrated or the inner layer 242 may becomposed of a single material. In either event, the inner layers whichback the side portions 228 and 230 are integral with the intermediateportion 226 and are flexibly joined therewith along the longitudinal,flexible joints 232 and 234 respectively. The longitudinal, flexiblejoints 232 and 234 are formed along and between the intermediate portion226 and the side portions 228 and 230 by molding or by post-mold formingthrough cutting or routing.

As shown in FIG. 7, the width of the single-piece headliner 220 isconsiderable and would not be passable through the rear of the vehicleas defined by the rear door or lift-gate opening of a van or a sportutility vehicle, respectively. Such an opening is illustrated as theoutline 250 of the lift-gate opening shown in FIG. 8. To enableinsertion of the single-piece headliner 220 into the vehicle's interiorwithout removing the windshield, the side portions 228 and 230 arefolded along the longitudinal, flexible joints 232 and 234 asillustrated in FIG. 8. The folding of the side portions 228 and 230reduces the overall width of the single-piece headliner 220 to allow forinsertion through the rear door or lift-gate opening. Once thesingle-piece headliner 220 has been placed into the vehicle's interior,the side portions 228 and 230 are generally unfolded to be returned tothe configuration illustrated in FIG. 7. The single-piece headliner 220is then attached to the roof of the vehicle by fasteners or adhesives.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes exemplary embodimentsof the present invention. One skilled in the art will readily recognizefrom such discussion, and from the accompanying drawings and claims thatvarious changes, modifications and variations can be made thereinwithout departing from the true spirit and fair scope of the inventionas defined by the following claims.

1. A headliner assembly for a vehicle, the headliner assembly including a headliner, the headliner having a long axis, the headliner comprising: an intermediate segment having a first longitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the long axis of the headliner and a second longitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the long axis of the headliner; a first side segment having a longitudinal edge, said longitudinal edge of said first side segment being fittable to said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate portion; and a second side segment having a longitudinal edge, said longitudinal edge of said second side segment being fittable to said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate portion.
 2. The headliner assembly of claim 1 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said longitudinal edge of said first side segment has a lip, and said longitudinal edge of said second side segment has a lip, the headliner assembly including a first fastener for attaching said lip of said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment to said lip of said longitudinal edge of said first side segment and a second fastener for attaching said lip of said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment to said lip of said longitudinal edge of said second side segment.
 3. The headliner assembly of claim 2 wherein said fastener is a spring clip.
 4. The headliner assembly of claim 2 wherein said fastener comprises a stud and a nut.
 5. The headliner assembly of claim 1 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said first side segment has a longitudinal groove and said second side segment has a longitudinal groove, said lip of said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment being substantially positionable within said longitudinal groove of said first side segment and said lip of said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment being substantially positionable within said longitudinal groove of said second side segment.
 6. The headliner assembly of claim 1 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment defines a first ledge, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment defines a second ledge, and wherein said longitudinal edge of said first side segment is substantially positionable on said first ledge and said longitudinal edge of said second segment is substantially positionable on said second ledge.
 7. The headliner assembly of claim 6 wherein the vehicle has a roof, the headliner assembly further including at least one fastener for attaching said first side segment to the vehicle roof and at least one fastener for attaching said second side segment to the vehicle roof.
 8. The headliner assembly of claim 7 wherein said fasteners are spring fasteners.
 9. The headliner assembly of claim 1 wherein the vehicle has a roof, the headliner assembly further including a first attachment strip for attaching said first side segment to the vehicle roof and a second attachment strip for attaching said second side segment to the vehicle roof.
 10. A headliner assembly for a vehicle, the headliner assembly including a headliner, the headliner having a width, the headliner comprising: an intermediate portion having a length and a width, said length being greater than said width; a first side having a length and a width, said length being greater than said width; a second side having a length and a width, said length being greater than said width; whereby said first side and said second side are movable relative to said intermediate portion to effect a change in the width of the headliner.
 11. The headliner assembly of claim 10 wherein said first side segment is flexibly attached to said intermediate portion and said second side segment is flexibly attached to said intermediate portion.
 12. The headliner assembly of claim 10 wherein the headliner has a long axis and wherein said intermediate segment has a first longitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the long axis of the headliner and a second longitudinal edge that is substantially parallel to the long axis of the headliner, said first side segment has a longitudinal edge, said longitudinal edge of said first side segment being fittable to said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate portion, and said second side segment has a longitudinal edge, said longitudinal edge of said second side segment being fittable to said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate portion.
 13. The headliner assembly of claim 12 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said longitudinal edge of said first side segment has a lip, and said longitudinal edge of said second side segment has a lip, the headliner assembly including a first fastener for attaching said lip of said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment to said lip of said longitudinal edge of said first side segment and a second fastener for attaching said lip of said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment to said lip of said longitudinal edge of said second side segment.
 14. The headliner assembly of claim 13 wherein said fastener is a spring clip.
 15. The headliner assembly of claim 13 wherein said fastener comprises a stud and a nut.
 16. The headliner assembly of claim 12 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment has a lip, said first side segment has a longitudinal groove and said second side segment has a longitudinal groove, said lip of said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment being substantially positionable within said longitudinal groove of said first side segment and said lip of said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment being substantially positionable within said longitudinal groove of said second side segment.
 17. The headliner assembly of claim 12 wherein said first longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment defines a first ledge, said second longitudinal edge of said intermediate segment defines a second ledge, and wherein said longitudinal edge of said first side segment is substantially positionable on said first ledge and said longitudinal edge of said second segment is substantially positionable on said second ledge.
 18. The headliner assembly of claim 17 wherein the vehicle has a roof, the headliner assembly further including at least one fastener for attaching said first side segment to the vehicle roof and at least one fastener for attaching said second side segment to the vehicle roof.
 19. The headliner assembly of claim 12 wherein the vehicle has a roof, the headliner assembly further including a first attachment strip for attaching said first side segment to the vehicle roof and a second attachment strip for attaching said second side segment to the vehicle roof.
 20. A method for installing a headliner assembly into a vehicle having an interior, an interior roof and a rear door opening, the method comprising the steps of: forming a headliner having an intermediate segment, a first side segment and a second side segment; moving said intermediate segment, said first side segment and said second side segment through the rear door opening and into the vehicle interior; positioning at least a portion of said intermediate segment onto the interior roof of the vehicle; positioning at least a portion of said first side segment onto the interior roof of the vehicle; and positioning at least a portion of said second side segment onto the roof of the vehicle. 